Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
 

Lester Evans wrote:
For my little old sailboat. Coastal cruising along the New England coast.
I took a look on ebay. Wow,, there were binoculars and there were
binoculars. Many brands, so many I gave up looking.

What do you experienced cruisers use?

Thanks,,

Dad had the big old heavy Fujinons on his boat. They were unsurpassed
a night light gathering but big and clunky to hold.
Looked a bit like these
http://fujinon.binoculars.com/produc...-sx-27618.html

We have a pair of 7x50 Steiner Military/Marines. Not quite as good as
the Fujis at night (or maybe my eyes have aged a bit in 20 years) but
still very good optics and excellent ergonomics.

Both of the above are probably overkill for most sailors EXCEPT when
you're trying to enter a harbour at night by starlight. Then you'll
be very happy to have spent more than $100. If you don't sail at
night then the good 7x50's are overkill

Evan Gatehouse

Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
 

In article , ceilydhNO_SPAM@
3web.NOSPAM.net says...
Lester Evans wrote:
For my little old sailboat. Coastal cruising along the New England coast.
I took a look on ebay. Wow,, there were binoculars and there were
binoculars. Many brands, so many I gave up looking.

What do you experienced cruisers use?

Thanks,,

Dad had the big old heavy Fujinons on his boat. They were unsurpassed
a night light gathering but big and clunky to hold.
Looked a bit like these
http://fujinon.binoculars.com/produc...-sx-27618.html

We have a pair of 7x50 Steiner Military/Marines. Not quite as good as
the Fujis at night (or maybe my eyes have aged a bit in 20 years) but
still very good optics and excellent ergonomics.

Both of the above are probably overkill for most sailors EXCEPT when
you're trying to enter a harbour at night by starlight. Then you'll
be very happy to have spent more than $100. If you don't sail at
night then the good 7x50's are overkill


If you wear glasses (as I do) be sure to test the binoculars while
wearing them. There can be a lot of variation in the field of
view with the change in eye relief due to the spectacles.

I like my Fujinon 7/50s because the field of view is good when
I'm wearing my glasses. My wife likes her Nikon 8x40s even
though they're not lightweights. But she wears contacts and
eye relief is less of a problem.

Mark Borgerson

Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
 

I like the approach of cheaper marine binos, having had a pair bounce down
the companionway stairs and make rattling noises afterwards and having
dropped roughly the volume of a dumpster of stuff into salt water.
Then again, I tend to be frugal (if possible around a boat) as there are
irritations like mortgage payments, car payments, expenses related to a wife
and daughter, taxes and more taxes making vapire sucking noises on my
checkbook.
As part of this frugality, I have an old boat I own free and clear parked in
the canal behind my house. I can afford this canal house because I don't
have a big boat payment and don't buy expensive binoculars.
MMC

"Mys Terry" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 07 Jun 2006 14:46:00 -0400, chuck wrote:

Mys Terry wrote:
On Wed, 07 Jun 2006 14:05:40 -0400, chuck wrote:

Harlan Lachman wrote:
In article ,
Mys Terry wrote:

On Wed, 07 Jun 2006 16:53:21 GMT, "Lester Evans"
wrote:

For my little old sailboat. Coastal cruising along the New England
coast.
I took a look on ebay. Wow,, there were binoculars and there were
binoculars. Many brands, so many I gave up looking.

What do you experienced cruisers use?

Thanks,,


Fujinon makes 7x50 binocs with a rubberized skin, that are
waterproof
and nitrogen filled for under $100. They also re-label essentially
the
same ones for various retailers, such as Defender, and West Marine.
For reading numbers off of navaids and such, they are fine. I would
recommend not going any higher than 7 power, though. 7x50 is pretty
much the standard for what you will be doing with them.
I concur with one exception. I bought a pair of the Fujinon's after
their great write up in one of the Practicals. For most usage they
work
great.

However, based solely on observation, if you are going to be doing a
lot
of night cruising, I found the night (or rather dusk) vision not as
good
as some of those really pricey kinds.

If you are doing that type of cruising, you might want to consider
the
pricey brands or a night vision system as a supplement.

h

Can you share the model number and source of Fuji
waterproof, 7x50 binoculars under $100?

Thanks.

Chuck


Defender has them for about $75

http://www.defender.com


Thanks.

Seems I misunderstood and thought real Fujis could
be bought for under $100.

Technically, these are Fujis because they are made
by Fuji exclusively for Defender. It's anybody's
guess whether they are identical to Fuji's branded
binoculars. It's my guess they are not in the same
league as Fuji's least-expensive binoculars. Which
does not mean they should be avoided, maybe just
approached with tempered expectations.

Chuck


The original poster recently posted questions about a GPS and
indicated budget was a significant concern. I assume that is the case
with his binocular search as well. The Binoculars I mentioned are
quite adequate for a coastal sailor who may need to spot a number on a
buoy or similar endeavors. I've used these binocs, and they are just
fine. Obviously you can spend a lot more money for something that lets
in more light, has more precise mechanisms, etc. For his use, as he
has described it, these should be fine. The major factor for these
over other sub- $100 binoculars is that they are waterproof and
nitrogen filled. That's fairly uncommon at the lower end, but for
marine use, it's very desirable.

Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
 

Mark Borgerson wrote:
In article , ceilydhNO_SPAM@
3web.NOSPAM.net says...

Lester Evans wrote:

For my little old sailboat. Coastal cruising along the New England coast.
I took a look on ebay. Wow,, there were binoculars and there were
binoculars. Many brands, so many I gave up looking.

What do you experienced cruisers use?

Thanks,,

Dad had the big old heavy Fujinons on his boat. They were unsurpassed
a night light gathering but big and clunky to hold.
Looked a bit like these
http://fujinon.binoculars.com/produc...-sx-27618.html

We have a pair of 7x50 Steiner Military/Marines. Not quite as good as
the Fujis at night (or maybe my eyes have aged a bit in 20 years) but
still very good optics and excellent ergonomics.

Both of the above are probably overkill for most sailors EXCEPT when
you're trying to enter a harbour at night by starlight. Then you'll
be very happy to have spent more than $100. If you don't sail at
night then the good 7x50's are overkill



If you wear glasses (as I do) be sure to test the binoculars while
wearing them. There can be a lot of variation in the field of
view with the change in eye relief due to the spectacles.

I like my Fujinon 7/50s because the field of view is good when
I'm wearing my glasses. My wife likes her Nikon 8x40s even
though they're not lightweights. But she wears contacts and
eye relief is less of a problem.

Mark Borgerson


I pop my eyeglasses off and adjust the binocular accordingly.
Inconvenient but seems to work although I'm quite nearsighted.

Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
 

On Wed, 07 Jun 2006 23:37:29 GMT, "Glen \"Wiley\" Wilson"
wrote:

Anecdotal experience: On several recent deliveries, the boats had
well-used Steiners aboard. Without exception, the Steiners had
mechanical problems of various sorts that rendered them useless.
However, I have trouble believeg that this is typical. The ones I've
handled in stores seem optically as good as my Fujinons, and don't
feel that flimsy. Any comments?

I have a pair of 7 x 50 Steiners that I like. They're about 2 years
old and have seen 7,000 miles of salt water trawler cruising in that
time. Low light visibility is excellent at night, and the optics are
crisp.

I do try very hard to protect them from the elements and mechanical
shock, something not always easy to do on a sailboat. I agree with the
advice about keeping an inexpensive pair for the guests to knock
around with. An additional advantage is that your "good" binoculars
remain properly adjusted for *your* eyes, a big advantage when you
need to see something quickly in low light conditions.

Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
 

damm, thats a lot of miles on a set...


"They're about 2 years
old and have seen 7,000 miles
of salt water trawler cruising in that
time."




Wayne.B wrote:
On Wed, 07 Jun 2006 23:37:29 GMT, "Glen \"Wiley\" Wilson"
wrote:

Anecdotal experience: On several recent deliveries, the boats had
well-used Steiners aboard. Without exception, the Steiners had
mechanical problems of various sorts that rendered them useless.
However, I have trouble believeg that this is typical. The ones I've
handled in stores seem optically as good as my Fujinons, and don't
feel that flimsy. Any comments?

I have a pair of 7 x 50 Steiners that I like. They're about 2 years
old and have seen 7,000 miles of salt water trawler cruising in that
time. Low light visibility is excellent at night, and the optics are
crisp.

I do try very hard to protect them from the elements and mechanical
shock, something not always easy to do on a sailboat. I agree with the
advice about keeping an inexpensive pair for the guests to knock
around with. An additional advantage is that your "good" binoculars
remain properly adjusted for *your* eyes, a big advantage when you
need to see something quickly in low light conditions.

Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
 

~^ beancounter ~^ wrote:

damm, thats a lot of miles on a set...


"They're about 2 years
old and have seen 7,000 miles
of salt water trawler cruising in that
time."


That *is* impressive. I've seen binocs that had a compass
built into them, for taking bearings, but I've never heard
of a set that had a knot log built into them ;)

DSK

Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
 

On 2006-06-07 18:21:14 -0400, "Bob" said:

Some folks say never get biger than 7x35 or 8x50 at the most.
Personally afer 1000s of hours staring through a pair i perfer 10x50. I
can just see so much more. Movement was never a problem for me.

10x50's are fine for daytime use, but are a bit hard to stabilize on a
small sailboat. 7x50's have a much larger aperture, 7mm vs. 5mm and
much more low-light capability, and are easier to hold stable. For
daytime use, I do carry a pair of Steiner 8x30s, which are considerably
smaller than the 7x50s I use at night. Also, the 7x50s have an
integrated compass, which is nice for taking bearings.

Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
 

On Mon, 12 Jun 2006 12:38:40 -0400, DSK wrote:

That *is* impressive. I've seen binocs that had a compass
built into them, for taking bearings, but I've never heard
of a set that had a knot log built into them ;)

Knot log is a good idea since you have to change the binocular oil
every 1500 miles or so.

Binoculars ,, what brand, make, model, recommendation ???
 

Wayne.B wrote:
On Mon, 12 Jun 2006 12:38:40 -0400, DSK wrote:

Knot log is a good idea since you have to change the binocular oil
every 1500 miles or so.


Hello Wayne:

I've been wondering for years what that oil was? Where do you get the
stuff. Do you think Wes Marine carries it? Would I just ask for
binocular oil? I was thinking of getting a pint so I I would have some
spare on the boat in case I lose a little and a bubble forms. I would
really hate not having my binos at 100% when I need them most.

What do you recomend?

Bob